2005 Gloria Ferrer "Royal Cuvée" Brut Carneros Sparkling Wine

SKU #1143734
91
points
Wine Spectator

A bubbly with broad shoulders and a crisp, minerally backbone. The aromas balance apple and citrus notes with accents of fresh ginger and rubber. The structure suggests that the flavors will blossom with food. Drink now through 2015.
(11/ 2013)

90
points
Wine Enthusiast

This brut-style bubbly is comprised of 67% Pinot Noir and 33% Chardonnay and shows aspects of both varieties. It's fairly full bodied, with raspberry, strawberry, lime, brioche, vanilla and toast flavors. Feels elegant, complex and lush in the mouth, and should develop additional bottle notes over the next six years.
(11/ 2013)

Connoisseurs Guide

A very nicely made wine, and one that fits right in as the younger sibling to Ferrer's Carneros Cuvée, this light, clean, steely offering is equipped with a foamy, energetic mousse and citrusy and minerally flavors. It reminds a bit of Blanc de Blancs in balance but is not quite as finicky in its austerity as the best of that breed.
(11/ 2013)

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2005 Royal Cuvee, a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, was aged five years on the yeasts. There is a green hue to its light straw color, and it offers tiny bubbles, an attractive nose of berries and citrus, medium body, and good texture as well as length. This well-made sparkler should drink well for 1-3 years.
(12/ 2013)

K&L Notes

Spanish-owned Gloria Ferrer has been tinkering with their Royal Cuvée ever since they created the blend to honor a visit from the king and queen of Spain in 1987. It's typically a full-bodied Brut on the slightly sweeter side, with nice vintage notes of pastry wrapping the juicy fruit flavors.

2005 Gloria Ferrer "Royal Cuvée" Brut Carneros Sparkling Wine

Wine Scores

Below is a listing of the wine review scores we frequently reference in our notes. While these sources remain an excellent source of information, we always recommend that you trust your own palate. Scores in these publications often represent the personal taste of an individual critic, which may not always coincide with your own. We have a huge team of excellent wine professionals that can match wines you've had in the past with new arrivals that meet your flavor profile.

Additional Information:

Country:

United States

- When people consider domestic wine, they normally think about the state of California. The fine viticultural Region within California, including the Napa Valley, Sonoma, Santa Cruz Mountains, Mendocino and Santa Barbara, are capable of growing grapes of world-class quality. But there's plenty of fabulous wine coming from other states, too. Oregon, Washington and New York are also causing eyebrows (and glassware) to be raised around the world. Click for a list of bestselling items from the United States.

Sub-Region:

California

- With the explosive growth that California's wine industry has seen the past several years, it's easy to view winemaking and grape growing in the Golden State as a recent phenomenon. And while it's true that California's viticultural history is brief compared to several European countries, this state's roots date back well over 200 years. Due to the enormous response to California wine within the United States and worldwide, there are thousands of excellent and diverse wines being produced within the state each year. For our entire selection of California wines, please visit this link.

Specific Appellation:

Napa Valley

- America's most famous wine region, which encompasses a varied geographical territory running about 20 miles long from the San Francisco Bay northward to the foot of Mount St. Helena. Napa's great diversity, both in terms of climate and terroir, has led to the creation of a number of smaller AVAs like Stags Leap District, Rutherford, Howell Mountain, Oakville and Mount Veeder, among others. Cabernet and chardonnay still reign supreme, but just about everything under the sun is grown in Napa Valley, in quality levels ranging from $2 jug wine to $500 a bottle California cab.